CONSTITUTION
and
BY-LAWS
of the
BAY VIEW CEMETERY ASSOCIATION
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Corpus Christi, Texas.
Caller Print, 1898.
This copy was made from the only known printed,
original booklet in Corpus Christi, which was loaned for the
purpose by Mrs. Hettie May Anderson Biggio (Mrs. Willie Biggio),
April 12, 1941, and was checked with the original for errors.
CONSTITUTION
and
BY-LAWS
ARTICLE I.
This organization shall be known as the Bay View Cemetery Association.
ARTICLE II.
The purpose of the association shall be to purchase a piece of real estate, to be surveyed and platted into lots and blocks, and to dispose of such lots to be used as a burial place for white persons only. (Excepting the acres owned by the city and county.)
ARTICLE III.
The members of this association shall consist of the owners of a lot, or lots, in said cemetery grounds, and any white person may become a member of this association upon the payment of ten cents per month as dues. No person owning lots in said cemetery grounds shall be entitled to more than one vote in the election of officers of this association.
ARTICLE IV.
The management and control of the business of this association shall be vested in a board of five (5) directors, to be elected by the members of this association at its annual meeting in each year.
ARTICLE V.
The annual meeting of this association for the election of directors and officers, by the members thereof, shall be held on the second Monday in January of each year in the City of Corpus Christi, County of Nueces, State of Texas.
ARTICLE VI.
The regular meetings of the board of directors and members shall be held on the first and third Wednesdays of each month. Special meetings of the board may be held at any time, at the same place, upon due notice to each director by the secretary, upon the order of the president, or at the request of any three of the directors, and any and all business may be transacted at a special meeting of the board and a majority of the board shall constitute a quorum, but two members may adjourn until a quorum can be obtained.
ARTICLE VII.
The officers of the association shall consist of president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and corresponding secretary, chairman of the executive, and chairman of the soliciting, committees; and all of the said officers shall be chosen from the lady members of this association, with the exception of the corresponding secretary, who may be of either sex. The above officers to be elected by the members of the association at the regular annual meeting, or as soon thereafter as practicable, and shall hold their respective offices for the term of one year, or until their successors are elected and qualified. Officers may be removed for cause and vacancies filled by the board of directors.
ARTICLE VIII.
The president shall preside at all meetings of the members of this association and at all meetings of the board of directors. He shall affix the signature of the association to all deeds and other papers when the name of the association shall be necessary and shall sign all checks of the association.
ARTICLE IX.
The vice-president shall, in the absence or disability of the president, perform all his duties and possess all his powers.
In the absence or disability of both the president and the vice-president the board of directors may elect an acting president, who shall fill the position and possess the powers of the president for the time being.
ARTICLE X.
The secretary shall keep an accurate record of all the proceedings of the board of directors and of the members of the association at the annual meeting thereof, and shall perform such other duties as may be required of him by the president or the board of directors. He shall attest the signature of the president to all deeds and papers requiring the signature of the association thereto.
ARTICLE XI.
The corresponding secretary shall attend to all correspondence of the association and all other duties pertaining to the office.
ARTICLE XII.
The treasurer shall receive all the moneys of the association and keep a true and accurate account of all moneys passing through his hands and shall perform such other duties as may be required of him by the board of directors or the president. He shall execute such a bond as may be required by the board of directors or of any committee appointed for that purpose.
The bond of the treasurer shall be retained by the president of the association as the special custodian thereof.
ARTICLE XIII.
The chairman of the executive committee shall appoint three ladies who, together with said chairman, shall constitute the executive committee, and said committee shall have charge of all work to be done in and about the cemetery grounds and of all improvements to be made therein.
ARTICLE XIV.
The chairman of the soliciting committee shall appoint three ladies who, together with said chairman, shall constitute the soliciting committee, and said committee shall solicit, collect and turn over to the secretary of this association all moneys subscribed, donated or due to this association, and when collected or received shall pay the same to the secretary of this association, taking his receipt therefor, after which the money must be turned over to the treasurer.
ARTICLE XV.
The real estate purchased by this association to be surveyed and platted under the direction of the board of directors into lots and blocks. The said lots in said cemetery when so surveyed and platted may be sold by the board of directors for cash at such prices as the board may determine and fix therefor.
All money received from the sale of lots, donations or from any source whatsoever, shall be used and applied for the purpose of keeping cemetery grounds in good repair and beautifying the same, and in case there should be a surplus of money over and above what is necessary to keep the same in good repair, then such surplus shall be placed at interest upon such security as the board of directors may approve and accept of real estate, security to have the preference.
ARTICLE XVI.
Bequests or gifts given by any person for the purpose of caring for or embellishing any lot or lots in the cemetery, or the cemetery as a whole, may be received by the directors in trust, to be placed at interest upon such security as the directors may select and the interest derived therefrom shall be applied for the purpose provided by the conditions of such bequest or gift.
ARTICLE XVII.
The board of directors shall prescribe from time to time all necessary rules and regulations for the care of the grounds and the carrying on of the business of the association.
No person other than the employees of the association shall be allowed to dig graves nor do other work on grounds of said cemetery, except that persons employed by lot-owners may, upon the written consent of the board of directors, be allowed to make improvements upon the lots of such lot owners under the supervision of such officer or agent as the board of directors may designate to supervise such work and subject to such rules and regulations as may be adopted by said board of directors.
No person will be allowed within the grounds at any time without a written permit from the association, but lot-owners will at the time of purchasing lots be furnished with a family admission ticket. No enclosure shall be built around any lot more than eighteen inches in height. A fixed and uniform price shall be charged for grave digging and all monuments, headstones, fences and enclosures shall conform to the rules to be prescribed by the board of directors.
ARTICLE XVIII.
Deeds to lots shall be executed and delivered upon the order of the board of directors, made at any regular or special meeting of said board and shall be signed by the president and attested by the secretary of this association.
ARTICLE XIX.
All officers of the association shall serve without compensation.
ARTICLE XX.
All amendments hereto shall be submitted to the board of directors in writing at least two weeks prior to its being acted upon.
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The following amendment was adopted at a regular meeting of the association held on July 6, 1898:
All lots in cemetery will be sold for cash. If any purchaser shall fail
to pay within 30 days after purchase, the lot purchased shall revert to
sellers of same.
Under no circumstances will deed be made to any purchaser of lot in
Bay View Cemetery until full price has been paid to president of said
association.